Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-11-30

scale. When big robbery has been
planned. and tho robbers are sure of q
big stake. every means is put In use to
obtain it. Their intelligence Always
gives birth to the shrewdest combina-
tons. Not long ago wealthy con-
tractor drew sixty-fvo thousand francs
from bank, put it into small hand
satchel, and got into carriage to be
driven to the Hotel de Vile. The car.
riage had not gone three hundred feet
before the money was stolen. The
thing seemed inexplicable. but it had
been easy enough for the robbers. The
carriage had scarcely left the bank
when several persons rushed into the
street and picked up man who was
screaming as if frightfully injured. 1t
was supposed that he had been run
over by an omnibus which had Just
gone by at a rapid pace. In appear
ance he seemed seriously wounded. In
reality he was not hurt ut ali, and just
here was the mystery of the robbery.
The clever thieves had invented this
scheme to attract attention. and thanks
to its success an accomplioe of the
pretended wounded man had stolen
the satchel from the carriage while the
owner was leaning out of the window
to see what had happened.
I'm this class of pickpockets you
have designated only men; but among
the women YOU must have found curl
Gus typesp"
mot many. You see them at the
railroad stations. at the boat landings,
at the theaters, on the promenades, In
the museums, and in the large stores.
They attack only women. They are
intelligent, shrewd and audacious.
Germany sends us the greatest number
Of female pickpockets, but they are
not the most adroit. The English
women have carried this kind of rob-
berry almost to the height of an
art Maneuvering from choice with
the left hand. they always keep
the right hand gloved. Span
ish women are easily recognized.
Small. sprightly. dark skinned, they
slip into the crowds with great vivacity.
If they are warned that detective is
near, they turn to him and try to en-
gage him in conversation. The French
women are skillful, but too much occu-
pied with the practical results of rob-
berry to succeed. They are always in
hurry to ascertain the contents of
their stolen purses, and this often
leads to their capture.
The women are constantly inventing
new tricks in the art of stealing. In
large store. the other day. a woman
was detected who carried baby of
eighteen or twenty months old on her
left arm, with It's legs and feet hang
ing down in such way as TO conceal
her work with her right hand. At the
opportune moment she lightly tickled
the child's legs with her left hand while
with her right she rummagod in the
pockets of the lady customers II the
person whose pocket she was picking
felt touch and turned upon her, she
gave the baby few taps, saying:
keep your feet still; you will soil
madame's dress" which was sufficient
to avert all suspicion. A new kind
of p:ckpocket was lately discovered
It was boy, hardly ten years old,
captured at an omnibus station. With
his hands in his overcoat pockets he
despoiled victim after victim. and if
any of them were inclined 10 suspect
him they were treasured by his inof-
fensive attitude. As for peck cts, the
ovorcoat had only the exterior open
ings, and tho boy could thrust his hands
among the crowd without taking them
out of what appeared to be his pockets. "
-CLicd1O Times